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Gamel likely returning to Mariners this week

TJ Cotterill, The News Tribune
Published 4:33 p.m. PT April 17, 2018

Ben Gamel, pictured during a spring training game in Arizona, is expected to be activated Wednesday. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said recently that the team likely will keep five outfielders on its roster for now, instead of cutting franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki.(Photo: Joe Camporeale, Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

SEATTLE -- Ben Gamel is healthy, having played nine games with 32 at-bats in his rehab assignment since straining his oblique during spring training.

So why is he not with the Mariners?

“He’s in a pretty good spot ready to come back,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said before Monday's game, a 2-1 win over the Astros. “We’re just trying to do the right thing roster-wise. So that all plays into it.”

Gamel played in Tacoma on Tuesday, but Servais said he's expected to return to Seattle before the end of the ongoing Astros series. So, Wednesday or Thursday.

That could mean a lot of things. And not necessarily designating 44-year-old franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki for assignment.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said last week it is likely the team would keep five outfielders once Gamel returns.

Team officials have repeated, though, that these decisions are day-to-day, which is likely the truth. Injuries happen, extra innings happen, and starting-pitchers-getting-shelled happens.

Servais said the team avoided recalling the left-handed hitting Gamel on Sunday and Monday because the Mariners were scheduled to face a pair of left-handed pitchers.

Gamel hit .275/.322/.413 in 134 games for the Mariners last season, including a .348 batting average in 56 starts from when he was called up from Triple-A in April to the end of June.

Guillermo Heredia was hitting .238/.346/.524 entering Tuesday and has been frequently used as a defensively replacement late in games for Ichiro, who was hitting .207/.207/.207 (six hits, all singles) entering Tuesday.

Ichiro Suzuki's batting, on-base and slugging percentages are all a paltry .207, and the Mariners routinely send in a defensive replacement for him late in games. Yet the team has said he's not expected to be released when regular left fielder Ben Gamel is activated.(Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)

“There’s a lot of scenarios. I’m not sure which way we’re going,” Servais said. “It’s really day-to-day now. … If you happen to have a night where you go extra innings or whatever and you get a little thin in your bullpen that can dictate which way you go there, too. So we’re really just playing day-to-day right now.”

Gamel did play an inning at first base last year. With Ryon Healy (ankle) still on the 10-day disabled list, it's possible he could slide there in a rotation at that spot.

“Possibly,” Servais said. “That’s not exactly at the top of the list. But he could stand over there if we needed him in an emergency.

“But, yeah, roster decisions and how they all play out, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Really, I’m just taking it day-to-day.”

Motter sent down to make room for Miranda

The odd-man out when the Mariners, finally, needed to add a fifth starting pitcher on Tuesday was utility player Taylor Motter on Tuesday. Despite his promising play, Motter was optioned to make room for left-hander Ariel Miranda from Triple-A Tacoma.

Motter’s home run was one of two hits on Sunday against dealing Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea. And Motter went 2-for-3 on Monday when the Mariners had six hits against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel.

But it doesn’t feel like Motter will be in Tacoma for all that long. He didn’t start the season with the Mariners, who picked veteran Andrew Romine as their utility player. Yet Motter has appeared in more games (six) and has more at-bats (12) that Romine (two games, four at-bats).

Romine is out of minor-league options, though, and Motter isn’t. So the Mariners avoid having to send Romine through waivers when he’s versatile enough to play all nine positions, like he did in one game last year for the Tigers. So the Mariners don't burn an asset less than three weeks into the season.

Motter was recalled when Nelson Cruz first went to the disabled list and he had stayed even when Cruz returned. He even pitched an inning (with a strikeout, but he also allowed a home run) against the Royals.

“It’s tough to produce offensively in that (utility) role because it’s hodgepodge with your playing time and there’s no set rhythm,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Both of those guys are very adequate or above-average at almost any position you put them at on the field. They are very sure-handed. Taylor has had a little more power, a little more thump in the bat and Romine is more contact guy. But similar skill-set defensively.

“But their personalities are quite a bit different. Taylor has more hair.”